Galileo 7 and 8 were launched into orbit on time today. (Screenshot of ESA/Arianespace livestream feed.) UPDATE: The two Galileo satellites are confirmed separated from their Soyuz Fregat upper stage into 22,522 altitude orbit right on schedule, according to ESA. Both are in their planned orbits.

In August 2014, they were considered lost: Two Galileo satellites ended in the wrong orbit after their launch by a Soyuz from Kourou, French Guiana. Now the two satellites have been recovered and should be able to fulfill, at least partially, their mission, according to the ESA (the European Space Agency) — a situation made possible by the extended Galileo team, ESA and agency partners.

A bi-partisan group of legislators led by Congressman John Garamendi (D-Calif.) has introduced a bill that would require the United States secretary of defense to establish a backup for GPS within three years using eLoran.

Five people stand accused of embezzling 250 million rubles (more than $4 million) in federal funds earmarked for Russia’s GLONASS program, according to information shared by the Russian Legal Information Agency and reported in the Izvestia newspaper. The investigation began in 2013

The upper composite containing the seventh and eighth Galileo satellites attached to their dispenser atop the Fregat upper stage inside the launcher fairing was hauled up the mobile launch tower then attached to the first three stages of its Soyuz ST-B launcher on March 24. (Photo courtesy of ESA) The seventh and eighth Galileo satellites are scheduled for launch Friday, March 27, at 21:46:18 GMT (22:46:18 CET) atop a Soyuz ST-B rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Streaming starts at 21:24 GMT (22:24 CET) at the European Space Agency website

Kevin Dennehy This year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was the biggest ever, with 95,000 attendees and thousands of booths, conferences and people with sore feet walking a cavernous exhibition hall. While the Geneva Auto Show ran close to the same dates, connected vehicle companies and technology were prominently featured

Integration of third and fourth stages of PSLV-C27. The launch of India’s fourth Navigation Satellite, IRNSS-1D, is now scheduled for 17:19 IST (11:49 UTC) on Saturday, March 28, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota

A patch for the upcoming GPS satellite launch shows a stylized GPS IIF-IX formed by the Delta 4 rocket and the constellation Cygnus (Latinized Greek word for swan). The satellite is nicknamed Deneb, the brightest star in the constellation and one of the 57 stars used in celestial navigation. The patch also indicates that the satellite is SV-10 and 73.